I haven’t been doing much and I haven’t been in the mood to do much. Barely stitched last week, I have been doing a bit of reading & watching some rented movies – but in general I have been a waste of space.
Some good stuff did happen. Marie lives just 20 minutes or so from me and she kindly invited me over for an afternoon of stitching and lunch. Like she said we didn’t get much stitching done but it was a wonderful visit. And OMG you should see all the beautiful stitching she has in her house. She’s working on a lovely sampler wall and all the smalls from exchanges – knock your socks off. I did start my HAED Sea of Roses with Marie’s two darling dogs keeping me warm (it’s cold here in Houston – below 40! lol). *sigh* I spent part of my wasted week browsing PetFinder – no! I’m trying to be a good girl. I do not need a dog…
Ooooo blurry picture. I had HAED remove the background & I’m stitching 1 over 1 on 25ct. Lugana. I think the color is Cherub Pink. Right now I’m kinda enjoying it, kinda not. I think once I get to solidly stitched areas, those 3 left side blocks are complete I think I’ll enjoy it more. Right now it’s too much starting and stopping.
HoHRH is washed, ironed and awaiting shipping. For the past week. *sigh* Unmotivated, that’s me.
But gosh, doesn’t she look pretty all washed and pressed?
Old news, a month ago I shipped off my Fair & Square Christmas squares. I haven’t heard a thing from my partner. *sigh* The 21st will mark the 1 month past due mark. At that time I will call her out publicly. Right now I’ll just share what I stitched.
I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought I would. It’s not really my style, but I was making these for a partner and not myself. And she said no cutesy animals, no religion, likes geometrics, overdye silk, & purple/green. The design is from November’s Gift of Stitching by Ink Circles. The overdye is another winner from a Dinky Dyes Oops pack. I filled it in with 3865 DMC. And it stitched fast. IIRC I started and finished it all in one day.
Yesterday I frogged out the verse on ATS.
It has always been my intention to include motifs along side my verse. I had originally thought that stitching the verse left justified with motifs on the right would work. Unfortunately after the verse was in I became less convinced. What changed my mind was looking at pictures of finished ATS. When you look at it let your eyes go unfocused so that you see the whole and not the elements so much, you see that the alphabet area (my verse now) is lines of red reaching border to border. Looking at the rest of the piece you see how balanced left & right the design is. If something happens on the left, it happens on the right. Now my verse did not reach border to border & putting motifs only on one side… it was going to FAIL. Badly. I’ve become convinced that leaving the verse as is with motifs on the right will ruin the balance of the entire design. So, out came the verse. Next Sunday the (same) verse will go back in centered. And from there I’ll add balanced motifs and then I can move on.
And that’s about it. Pitiful progress which mostly consists of frogging. If you can call frogging progress. lol
deepinsidemissy 
FWIW, I think you’ve made the right decision removing the verse, even though it’s reverse progress. Good luck stitching it back up.
The Black Jewels Trilogy in a weekend is a “bit of reading”? Yikes, I wish I could get that much read in such a short time! LOL
If it gets you closer to the end goal, it’s progress!
Love the colours so far on your HAED. I like what you stitched for the F&S, hope you get a grovelling email of belated thanks. I think that the centered text is the right decision, frogging is a PITA but on a piece so big and so special, it deserves to be done right.
I love your HoHRH. And I think everyone needs a dog.
I’ve got some frogging out to do on my ATS too. I think you’ll be happier with the centered verse with symmetrical motifs. And you HRH is gorgeous all pressed and washed! I had the same problem as you when I started a HAED…it was so much starting and stopping, so much changing of colors that it drove me batty. I think I only have a few inches filled in on one corner. I love love love Sea of Roses though (which is why she’s on my blog!). Do tell about the Black Jewels trilogy – interesting?
I’m so sorry your FS partner crapped out on you. I never have and hever will, understand why and how people can do this. Even though you sent me an e-mail regarding this, I am working on it. Its the principal.
I hope your stitching mojo kicks up in high gear again. That has happened to me before–it usually doesn’t last long.
I think you made the right decision on your ATS. Looks great. Alot of work, but gorgeous.
Take care.
I’ve been very lazy and unmotivated with the stitching too. I’m in cleaning mode. Housework takes up WAY too much time! I think you made the right choice with ATS too. It’s looking great even if you did take a little step back! Nice start on your HAED too…great colors!
I went a couple of weeks without doing much stitching as well. I think it happens to all of us from time to time.
BTW, what did you use for the gridding on your HAED? I recently started a Michael Powell piece which is also 100% coverage and I’m thinking it will be in my best interest (& sanity) to grid.
I feel your unmotivational pain. My hand hasn’t been good at holding a needle for about a week. I’m gonna go try again.
Love your HoHRH, and can’t wait to see what you do next with ATS.
Ahh….you started a HAED as well. They are huge, but look great. I still try to avoid thinking about the sheer size of the chart of mine.
So nice to hear that you had a great time meeting Marie. It’s great to have fellow stitchers near by.
Your motivation will return. I think we all have that from time to time.
Looking forward how you will place the verse. Really curious now.
I blogged just the other night about trying to find the motivation to actually pick up a needle rather than just thinking about doing it, so I understand where you’re coming from.
I think the verse on ATS will look better centered. I found out with my wedding sampler that it’s not easy when you’re making design changes and some reverse stitching will undoubtedly occur. (However, once I finished and realized the bottom half or so of the charted design was not centered on the chart, I gave up and said there was no way I was ripping all that work out. Decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis.)
I can’t believe that you’re brave enough to stitch a HAED. Those things scare me, but they are such stunning pieces when finished! I love your Houses all ironed and pressed, and I can’t wait to see it framed. And Boo on ripping out of that verse – what a job. But if you weren’t happy with it, and it’s definitely not something you want to leave in. Still love seeing ATS though – your A&E crack me up every time I see them!
Frogging ATS is the right decision. Though, I think actually doing the frogging might put me off stitching a bit, too. You’ll get your mojo back. I have faith. Who else is going to supply me with stitching porn?
Black Jewels – another yummy series that needs a re-read sometime. Unfortunately, choices between reading and stitching have to be made. We’ve only one set of eyes. 😉
I’ve been reading, as you know, as well. It seems the stitch witch is after me… But, I’m buckling down today and for the next 3 days to get lots of RR things out the door!! :] Your stitching and exchanges are awesome, as always, dear friend. Hugs, Deb
ATS will get there. I think you will be much happier having it exactly right than just making what you had ‘work’. You would never look at the whole piece, you would just look at the bit you were dissatisfied with. What a drag frogging is though. I love your Houses…. I have been wanting to do that one… enabler! I might have to resist for now though as I am buried under a huge pile of WIPs.
I always find that I feel very blah after finishing something big, like you did with HoHRH. And shedang girl, you are zooming through those books!
I think any progess is progress, so good for you with the stitching. I was wondering what you’d planned for ATS–I look forward to seeing it all fixed up the way you’d like it. Love the exchange blocks!
Sounds like you are going to be much happier with ATS with the verse centered – in the end that is what matters. 🙂
I really like your fair and square piece too – I think you did very well with the request your partner made. 🙂
It was fun, thanks for the sweets….delicious!
Hey, I am in awe of your HOHRH and wish it were mine; it looks gorgeous.
Sorry about the MIA stitcher…she’s not nice now is she? Maybe she belongs on that Wall of Shame.
You did a really nice job on the squares that you sent out…maybe she will come through (?)
I can’t wait to start my HAED, thanks for the tips on gridding and for the many helpful links.
Everything looks great – looking forward to progress on your HAED, the colours look scrummy so far. I’d probably have to agree with your sentiments about the verse as well – your logic is well founded, although it’s a shame all that reverse stitching had to occur!
I will be starting a HAED shortly, but I almost had a heart attack when I peeped at the chart!!! I’m terrified, so will watch your progress with interest…
Congratulations on finishing HoHRH! It looks awesome!